Max load

[Swamppanther]

I note two different recommendations for my .32.
1.  - .32 - .45 do not exceed 75 gr.   No   "F"   given.
2.  - Min 15  Max 40 gr 3 F.
I was thinking more like 50 - 60 gr 3F for Deer (.30 legal in Florida) .310 / 18 patch. (15 - 25 for squirrel.)
Don't want to blowup new gun (maybe fired 5 times).
Any thoughts on this?

[Ohio Joe]

Check out this link below; then scroll down to page 5 (25 grains Maximum load)

https://www.muzzle-loaders.com/media/wysiwyg/product-manuals/Traditions%20Percussion%20-%20Flintlock/Traditions-Percussion-Flintlock-Manual.pdf

I only know a couple guys that I see once a year who have .32's and that's at rendezvous shoots. They're shooting 25 grains 3fg - but that's at paper targets...

75 grains in a .32 cal barrel? No Way!!! That's a lot of powder in a small bore which is going to create a hell-ov-a-lot of pressure.

Lyman's hand book doesn't give any load recommendations for the .32 that I can find, but my book is from 1975... Pretty old...

[Fyrstyk]

Anything more than 40 grains of fff would be excessive in a .32, and the accuracy would be scatter gun at best, cause most .32's have less than a 1:50 twist.  Pushing that little 45 grain pill over 2000fps would cause the ball to trip over the lands making for poor accuracy.  My .32 long rifle with a 42" barrel gets 1800 fps with just 25 grains of fff.  Personally, I think a .32 caliber muzzleloader is too small for deer hunting, to to each his own.

[Ohio Joe]

Anything more than 40 grains of fff would be excessive in a .32, and the accuracy would be scatter gun at best, cause most .32's have less than a 1:50 twist.  Pushing that little 45 grain pill over 2000fps would cause the ball to trip over the lands making for poor accuracy.  My .32 long rifle with a 42" barrel gets 1800 fps with just 25 grains of fff.  Personally, I think a .32 caliber muzzleloader is too small for deer hunting, to to each his own.

I agree with Fyrstyk about using a .32 to take deer. The ball speed may be there, but the KN Energy for a quick clean kill isn't if your shot should be just a bit off. I say this from watching guys at the club trying to knock over a 1/2" thick metal buffalo silhouette about the size toaster sideways from 25 yards - hit it in the center and it won't go,,, hit it high and it's a slow motion topple, sometimes...

[doggoner]

I'm in the 32 call is too small for deer camp. It's your call of course. I found this chart (see below) for charges and velocitys. There is no barrel length given and no twist rate for the various calibers. It might help you decide on a load or better yet (from my view) decide that 32 cal is too light for deer.

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doggoner

P.S. After some more digging, the loads in the chart above are from GOEX. Just a FWIW.

[Nessmuk]

Considering the size of Florida  Deer and the relatively short shooting distances, I  believe  Swamppanther will find a well loaded .32 sufficient .

[Swamppanther]

Oh Well! Guess I am going to go with The Beast instead of Beauty. I really got Beauty for squirrels (my favorite game of all - eat or hunt).
The Beast seems to weigh about 50 lbs. more! Had two different sources for that gun max load.

[Oldetexian]

I am glad to see the discussion around the 32 cal possibly being too small to use on deer. We all know you can kill a deer with a 22 cal...It's definitely possible with the right placement...but I am just not convinced that it's a wise practice to use such a small projectile. Seems to me that it might be flirting with more wounding than killing...and nobody wants that.

All the above being just my opinion, I appreciate hearing from folks with a hell of a lot more experience than me. Just had to toss in my measly two cents...I HATE the thought of not having a clean kill, regardless of the reason...

[Idaholewis]

I am glad to see the discussion around the 32 cal possibly being too small to use on deer. We all know you can kill a deer with a 22 cal...It's definitely possible with the right placement...but I am just not convinced that it's a wise practice to use such a small projectile. Seems to me that it might be flirting with more wounding than killing...and nobody wants that.

All the above being just my opinion, I appreciate hearing from folks with a hell of a lot more experience than me. Just had to toss in my measly two cents...I HATE the thought of not having a clean kill, regardless of the reason...

I agree here, it is VERY doable, Proper Shot placement is Key regardless of Caliber. But that Small Light projectile leaves FAR less room for Error. The .32 and .36 Are Not Legal here in Idaho for any Big Game.